The Winchester brothers are back, and they are facing a world of supernatural chaos.
On the season nine premiere of "Supernatural," the brothers are dealing with the aftermath of the Fall, which is when torrents of angels fell to Earth. (The rest of the world thought it was a meteor shower.) Now there are angels trying to track down Castiel (Misha Collins), and Sam's life (Jared Padalecki) is in danger.
Sam is in a coma after completing the agonizing Trials. Dean (Jensen Ackles) is in Sam's head, urging him to fight death and continue to live. But Bobby (Jim Beaver) is also in his head, representing the side of Sam that wants to stop fighting and submit to death. Dean aims to kill Bobby to save Sam, but it's too late; Sam goes inside the cabin, where Death's Grim Reaper is ready to take his soul.
In the real world, Dean is doing everything in his power to try to save his sibling. Dean calls on the angels for assistance to help revive his brother. Although some murderous angels emerged, one good one finally arrived- Ezekiel, played by Tahmoh Penikett ("Battlestar Galactica"). Ezekiel generously offers his services to try to bring Sam back to life while Dean fends off malevolent angels. But Ezekiel has some disheartening news: Sam's damage is so severe that the only way to fix him would be from the inside, meaning Ezekiel will need to possess Sam, something Sam would have never agreed to.
Dean agrees to let Ezekiel go inside Sam's mind and pose as himself to convince Sam to agree to accept outside help. This initially works, but the damage to Sam's body and soul is so severe that Ezekiel will need to stay inside Sam for a long time. Ezekiel can now take over Sam's body whenever he wants, unbeknownst to Sam. Dean has to keep the secret, lest his brother reject the angel's possession and die.
Meanwhile, fallen angel Castiel is learning to live as a human. A female angel latches on to Cas, but becomes a bit too attached. Castiel has to cause a car crash to escape her, and explains to her that his main mission is to help the angels who were driven from Heaven. She has no sympathy for his mission, and says that the angels will track him down and unleash their vengeance upon him.
Misha Collins spoke to TVLine about his complicated character. "Cas is something of a magnet for the angels. A lot of the angels who fell to Earth fell with their grace, so they still have powers and they're formidable foes," Collins said. "Cas is just an ordinary guy, a schmo now. So there are all these powerful angels who are out to get Cas, and he has to find ways to run and hide. He is also spending some time away from Sam and Dean, because he doesn't want to draw the wrath of angels to the boys. He's grappling with trying to figure out what his role should be in this whole thing."
Cas will be "searching for purpose" this season, but along the way, he will explore the pleasures of the flesh. "Cas definitely dabbles in that realm, "Collins said. "That's yet another aspect of the human condition that's new to him that he has to figure out how to do."
Executive producer Robert Singer told TVGuide that Castiel will face a moral dilemma this season. "As the war between the angels becomes more heated, he has a real push-pull. 'Should I stay here and do this and be a worthwhile human being or do I have to get back into the fray and if I do, how do I do it?'" Singer explained.
In episode two, Crowley (Mark Sheppard), the King of Hell, will be feeling the effects from Sam's attempts to exorcise him, which he is none too pleased about. For the first time, Crowley will have to reflect on all he's done. "Now, suddenly things have an effect on him, and his recollections have this emotional undercurrent," Mark Sheppard told TVGuide.
In the second episode, Dean will reveal that he's kidnapped Crowley, and the brothers will enact a plan to torture the names of every demon on Earth out of him.
With Crowley kidnapped, Abaddon (Alaina Huffman) will reemerge with her dastardly plan to take over Hell, which includes gaining the trust of the angry, jettisoned angels. Showrunner Jeremy Carver said that some angels will return, such as season eight's Metatron (Curtis Armstrong), who will get back into the fray. Malachi, a dangerous fighter angel, will also be introduced in season nine. Malachi will force angels to follow him to begin a war.
Charlie (Felicia Day) will appear in episode four for a Men of Letters origin story, and Sheriff Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes) will also come back in episode eight.
Watch the promo for episode two, "Devil May Care," which airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. on The CW.